Suppressors have been the focal point of countless spy movies and TV shows. While most of that action is exaggerated, it’s hard to deny the appeal of today’s sound suppressors.
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With their many benefits, they are easily some of the best investments serious shooters can make.
The primary benefit of a suppressor is sound reduction. This benefit applies across a broad spectrum ranging from tactical applications to helping new shooters. Suppressors also act like muzzle brakes in that they can reduce felt recoil by as much as 30 percent. The reduction of painful muzzle blast is helpful, as new shooters using unsuppressed weapons tend to flinch with every shot. Additionally, the sound suppressor acts as a natural flash suppressor, which allows for better low-light shooting.
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Check out the above gallery for some of the best suppressors on the market today.
AAC Illusion 9
The Illusion 9 from Advanced Armament Corporation (AAC) is based on the company’s Evolution 9mm suppressor. It was designed to be low enough to allow for the use of factory-height sights. This unit is user serviceable. It is constructed with seven stainless steel conical baffles and a titanium body with a hardcoat anodized finish. The Illusion is 7.88 inches long, 1.25 inches in diameter, weighs 10.4 ounces and has a rated sound reduction of 33 decibels. (advanced-armament.com; 770-925-9988)
AAC Ti-RANT 45M
AAC’s Ti-RANT 45M is modular and can be configured into either a short or long unit. The suppressor disassembles for cleaning by removing a modular section containing three baffles. In the long incarnation, the unit is 8.74 inches long and weighs 13 ounces while the short version is 6.75 inches and 11.3 ounces. The suppressor reduces the sound signature (while dry) by 30 and 18 decibels for the full and short configurations, respectively. The Ti-RANT 45M is made with a stainless steel blast baffle, anodized aluminum secondary baffles and a titanium tube and end cap. The Ti-RANT 45M’s 1.375-inch-diameter tube is finished with durable Cerakote. (advanced-armament.com; 770-925-9988)
AWC Ultra 13 Match
AWC is one of the oldest suppressor manufacturers, and it now offers over 20 suppressors for pistol, rifles and submachine guns. New for 2015 are the Marauder quick-disconnect rifle suppressor and several improved integral suppressors for the Ruger Mark III and Browning Buck Mark pistols as well as Ruger’s 10/22 and 77/44 rifles. Another addition to AWC’s lineup is the Ultra 13 Match, an integrally suppressed .22 LR rifle. The Ultra 13 Match resembles a 10/22 but is actually a Primary Weapons Systems Summit receiver with a Hogue stock and a 16.5-inch Shaw match barrel. (awcsilencers.com; 800-401-7269)
Black Rain Ordnance
Black Rain Ordnance’s suppressors feature Epsilon baffles, which deliver outstanding performance, sound reduction and accuracy, all with low heat gain. The Aris .223 is rated for .17 HMR to .22-250, for both rifles and pistols, including full-auto use.
The M30-A is well balanced for handling 6mm and 6.5mm cartridges as well as rounds ranging from the 300 BLK to the .300 Win Mag, delivering exceptional sound and recoil reduction. This can weighs 28 ounces and sports a black salt-bath nitride finish.
Finally there is the .22 Universal Rimfire. This is one of the most durable rimfire suppressors on the market, and it comes in a package designed to handle all the rounds and abuse you can deliver. Full stainless steel construction means the Universal won’t rust or get damaged by cleaning solutions that other aluminum cans can’t handle. (blackrainordnance.com; 888-836-2620)
Dead Air Silencers Sandman-L
Dead Air Silencers is a new name to the market, but it’s certainly not inexperienced. Led by suppressor design veteran Mike Pappas, Dead Air makes extremely durable, high-performance suppressors. Its new 7.62mm Sandman-L is rated for up to .300 Win Mag use and is only 8.9 inches long and 1.5 inches wide but delivers a stated sound reduction of 31 decibels using 7.62mm NATO ammunition. This suppressor is tuned for low backpressure and has a removable end cap that acts as a flash suppressor. The Sandman-L mounts to Dead Air’s nitride-finished stainless steel muzzle brake. Alignment, attachment and gas seal are accomplished with a tapered cone with a secondary lug for additional securement. (deadairsilencers.com; 877-892-7544)
EliteIron CQC & Delta
EliteIron’s centerfire rifle suppressors are made with stainless steel tubes finished with Cerakote. The core is fully welded for structural strength and durability and made from stainless modified K baffles. For 5.56mm rifles, two models are offered that differ with respect to length and sound reduction. That includes the 5.35-inch, 14.5 oz., full-auto-rated CQC (33 decibel reduction) and the 6.5-inch CQC Elite (34 decibel reduction). The third is the direct-thread mount 7.5-inch, 21 oz. Delta (35 decibel reduction). All three have 1.5-inch diameter tubes and 1/2×28 threads. Buyers of the CQC and CQC Elite also get a 1/2×28 threaded muzzle brake and a cap that redirects blast and sound away at close quarters when the rifle is unsuppressed.
(eliteiron.com; 406-244-0234)
Gemtech GTSOC PRO
Gemtech partnered with Kimber to produce a highly specialized 1911 and suppressor combo kit that uses. The GTSOC kit comes with a Kimber custom 1911 pistol, a Gemtech GM-45 sound suppressor, three magazines and an APL Inforce weapon light—all in a custom fitted nylon case. The GM-45 suppressor included in the GTSOC kit is 6.2 inches long without the piston and 1.25 inches in diameter, and it weighs only 5.5 ounces without the piston due to its 7075-T6 aluminum construction. The Gemtech GM-45 is rated for fully automatic firing. It’s also completely finished in durable Cerakote and uses a G-Core Monocore. Finally, the GM-45 suppressor has a stated dry/wet sound reduction of 23/35 decibels. (gem-tech.com; 208-939-7222)
Gemtech’s “The One”
Tested to USSOCOM standards, Gemtech’s new “The One” suppressor handles several calibers. It is full-auto rated in 10-inch or longer barrels in 5.56mm NATO, semi-auto in 16-inch or longer barrels in 7.62mm NATO and 24-inch barrels in .300 Winchester Magnum. The One is made with an Inconel Blast Baffle and a titanium tube, and uses Gemtech’s quick-attach mount. (gem-tech.com; 208-939-7222)
Liberty Suppressors
Liberty Suppressors makes several muzzle-mounted and integral suppressors, including those used in the Rhino Arms family of precision rifles, such as the RA-4R ISR, which is an AR-15-style short-barreled rifle (SBR) chambered in the increasingly popular 300 Blackout. The Liberty suppressor equipped on the ISR, with its titanium monocore, is permanently attached to the SBR’s short 7.5-inch barrel for an overall length of 16.1 inches, thus it is subject to only one NFA transfer tax. (libertycans.net; 706-661-6911)
MasterPiece Arms 308S
MasterPiece Arms makes semi-automatic pistols and rifles and five different suppressors for .22 LR, 9mm, 5.56mm NATO and .308 Winchester firearms. The MPA 308S is made for .308 Winchester and 300 Blackout rifles with threaded barrels. It is a monocore design that uses 17-4 stainless steel for the core and 304L stainless for the tube and end cap. The unit is finished with Cerakote. The MPA 308S is 1.5 inches in diameter, 9.3 inches long and weighs 23 ounces. (masterpiecearms.com; 770-832-9430)
Sig Sauer SRD762-QD
The Sig Sauer SRD762-QD silencer is only 7 inches long and 1.625 inches wide and weighs 17 ounces. It is rated for the 7.62mm NATO, 300 BLK and .300 Win Mag. Made from stainless steel and nickel alloy, the baffles on this suppressor are welded together in a stack without an additional tube to save weight and cost, and they have a PVD finish. Just as unusual, however, is Sig’s unique modular Taper-Lok fast-attach mount that is included with the suppressor. (Most companies sell the required mount separately.) The Taper-Lok mount allows the user to easily set the position of the muzzle brake or flash suppressor with a crush washer. There are no mechanical teeth or ratchet system to wear out, and removing the suppressor is done by hand, though the suppressor has wrench flats if required. (sigsauer.com; 603-610-3000)
Stealth Engineering Group
Stealth Engineering Group (SEG) is a new company that makes four suppressor models that can be custom configured to the user’s specifications. All four models use monocore baffles, and both the core and the tube can be made with any combination of aluminum, stainless steel or titanium. Customers can also order suppressors in a wide variety of calibers and several finishes. Customers who select a titanium tube have an unusual variety of optional finishes, including camo, rings and a swirl pattern. The four models range in size from the Independent, which is 1 inch in diameter and 6.125 inches long, to the Hancock model, which is 1.5 inches in diameter and 8.9 inches long. (segsuppressors.com)
SureFire Ryder 9-Ti
SureFire’s Ryder 9-Ti is 7.6 inches long and weighs 9.1 ounces with the piston. At only 1.25 inches wide, no special high-profile sights are needed on the host pistol. The Ryder 9-Ti uses a titanium tube and end caps coated in grey, black or Flat Dark Earth Cerakote. Inside, there are five heat-treated stainless steel baffles and one spacer that are numbered and notched for correct and quick reassembly after cleaning. The Ryder 9-Ti is sold with an assembly/disassembly tool that easily removes and reinstalls the baffles as a single-stacked unit. (surefire.com; 800-828-8809)
Thunder Beast Ultra
Thunder Beast’s new Ultra suppressors are designed for calibers up to .300 Win Mag and are made entirely of titanium with fully welded cores for strength. (Direct-thread models use a 17-4 stainless steel blast shield.) Ultra suppressors mount with direct threads or to the company’s Compact Brake muzzle brake or flash suppressor. The CB mount uses a tapered cone to lock the suppressor to the mount. The mounting method (thread or CB) can also be changed by the factory without needing to buy an additional suppressor. Ultra cans are 1.5 inches in diameter and come in three lengths: 5, 7 or 9 inches. They weigh only 7.6 to 11.9 ounces with the CB mount and 9.4 to 13.7 ounces with direct-thread mounts. (307-287-2052; thunderbeastarms.com)
Wilson Combat Whisper
Best known for its very high-quality 1911 pistols, AR-15 rifles and customizations for Remington 870 shotguns, Wilson Combat recently introduced its first line of suppressors. The Whisper line is made of titanium and comes in one external size that can be configured into four different bore diameters: 9mm, 5.56mm, 7.62mm and 6.8mm. All Whisper suppressors use a monocore design welded to a 6.3-inch-long, 1.875-inch-diameter tube that weighs only 17.8 ounces. Whisper suppressors use a quick-attach mount to attach to a Wilson stainless steel and nitride-finished muzzle brake that is included with the suppressor. Suppressor tubes come standard with a bead-blasted finish with an optional heat-resistant Armor-Tuff coating in black, grey, OD, desert tan or Flat Dark Earth. (wilsoncombat.com; 870-545-3618)
Yankee Hill Machine Sidewinder
Yankee Hill Machine (YHM) makes rifle, pistol and submachinegun suppressors. For 2015, the company will offer the “Hearing Safe” Sidewinder suppressor in 9mm, .40 and .45 ACP. All Sidewinders are 1.375 inches in diameter but have different lengths depending on caliber: 7.8 inches for the 9mm, and 8.75 inches for the .40 and .45 ACP. Their construction is also consistent, with the monocore baffle made from hardcoat anodized 7075-T6 aluminum and housed in a tube made from 6061-T6 aluminum. The booster assembly and mount are made from 17-4PH stainless steel. The Sidewinder can also be quickly disassembled for maintenance. All YHM suppressors come with a lifetime warranty. (yhm.net; 877-892-6533)
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